Letters
by Rangerbaldwin
Summary: Jacob's final act


Summary: Jacob's last act

Time Frame: Possible Season 9/probable AU.

Notes: All the changes to Seasons Nine & 10 take place as usual.  
Thank you, thank you to my beta readers: Janna and Terry. You're  
wonderful!

Relationship: Jack and Sam

Rating: 7 and up

Archive: SJFic

Letters  
By: Lynda Mayfield

March, 2005

Jacob awoke to the sound of a female nurse moving around his sick  
bed in the SGC. She was pretty, young, brunette; just the person for  
the job.

"What's your name?" his voice was a hoarse whisper.

The young lady put down the chart she had been reviewing. "I'm  
sorry, sir?"

"Your name?" He was able to voice more loudly.

"Oh, sorry. It's Lieutenant Jadek, sir. Did you need something?  
Anything I can get for you?"

"I--I need a favor."

"Of course, sir," she readily agreed.

"Check the bag I brought in with me on my arrival. It should be  
stowed in the cabinet there, with the rest of my things. There are  
two envelopes. I'll tell you what to do with them. . ."

April 12, 2005

After running some errands, Jack O'Neill had stopped for dinner at a  
fast food joint around the corner from home. He now pulled the mail  
from its box by the door, sorting out bills from junk and not  
expecting to find much else. The letter with no return address was a  
surprise, particularly when he noticed his address in what seemed to  
be a woman's handwriting.

After flipping the envelope over a couple times, he opened it and  
pulled out a one-page note. He skipped to the bottom and found the  
signature line --Jacob Carter:

Jack,

I'm writing to you because Selmak is dying. Knowing that, there are  
some things I want to tell you, assuming you receive this. I want  
something from you, General. I want you to take care of my girl,  
Sam. If that means marrying her, then do it, because I know you love  
her.

I bet you are wondering how I know. The first time I saw you with  
her, I knew you were the one. Don't be shocked. I did take your age  
into consideration, but there's more to love than that. From the  
very second you said, "Sam's dad?" I could tell you cared for her --  
very much.

The difference is, your feelings for her have grown deeper than  
before, Jack. Those feelings show in the look of admiration in your  
eyes when she speaks to you and in your feigned hurt when she  
corrects you. I know for a fact you wait for her to correct you  
JUST so you can pretend to have hurt feelings or ignorance of the  
subject.

She's yours, Jack. I have taken full measure of her so-called  
fiancéé. He's not the one for her just as whoever you may be with is  
not the one for you. There's no arguing in your mind against Selmak  
and me when you know we're right.

I consider you a friend, Jack, and already my son-in-law. Will you  
remember one thing for me? I loved her first, I held her first:  
from the first breath she breathed to the woman before us both.  
She's never let go of my heart. A piece of me will always reside  
within her as a piece of her is always with me. Be careful with  
her. Don't hurt her if you don't have to. After all, what father  
wouldn't tell you that?

Have no doubt that she loves you, Jack. I have seen that, too. Do  
not feel guilty for loving her. Just do love her and never let her  
down.

Remember me,

Jacob Carter  
and Selmak

Jack put the letter down on the counter, got a beer from the kitchen  
and then picked up the letter again. He kept drinking the beer as he  
read the letter to himself twice more.

How could Jacob have known? Were he and Carter that obvious? Jack  
thought not. They had never once crossed the line, never done  
anything that would put their careers on the line. He couldn't hurt  
Carter like that and he knew she would never reveal her feelings for  
him. Not even to her father.

Whatever the reason, it was there, in Jacob's handwriting. The man  
had known, gotten a vibe or something and now he was sending Jack to  
her. She'd broken up with Pete recently and Jack had been mulling  
over paying Carter a visit, anyway. Kerry had already been gone  
even longer than Pete.

Sighing, he folded the letter and carefully put it back in its  
envelope. Then he grabbed the keys to his truck and was out the  
door.  
The letter from her father lay, barely touched, next to Samantha  
Carter on the bedspread. Sam sat against the headboard, clutching a  
pillow, tears streaming down her face. Her father had known. She  
couldn't believe it. She didn't think he would ever understand and  
had never told him her feelings. Wiping her eyes, she picked up the  
letter to read it again:

Dear Sam,

By now, I have just left your life. I hope you are ready for this  
letter. You're probably still angry with me for not telling you I  
was dying, but I hope you can forgive that, knowing I had your best  
interests at heart.

As I do, now. The reason for this letter is to tell you that I know----  
have known for a long time----that Jack O'Neill is the man for you.  
Don't rush off and get upset with Jack, he doesn't know about this  
letter. I could just tell by looking at the two of you that you are  
right for each other.

I know you might have thought I would not accept Jack as your  
husband. I learned by watching the two of you just how far out of  
your way you will go to conceal your feelings for each other. It's  
almost comical to watch you two interact very carefully,  
particularly when Teal'c and Daniel aren't there as barriers for  
your feelings. Don't be ashamed of that, Sam. You two have protected  
your careers well.

Take my advice and do not push him away. Let him be yours and do not  
feel guilty about all the years you have waited for him. You two are  
good together. If you can get the chance to remove yourselves from  
the direct chain of command, you should. Do it and be happy.

One more thing----I told you before I was united with Selmak, and I  
still feel the same way----I am very proud of all that you have  
accomplished in your career, Sam. My heart has been filled with  
pride for you for years. You have never let me down. Never believe  
that you have.

I love you, Sammy baby.

Dad

Sam let go a sob, and clutched the pillow a few moments more. As she  
reflected on her father's words, reality slowly returned to her. Her  
face felt flushed and tight from her drying tears and she was still  
in her grungy BDUs. The day had been a long one, and now she felt  
physically and emotionally drained. A hot shower was just the  
solution she needed.

Wearing a black tank top and light blue pajama bottoms, Sam was much  
more comfortable. She read her letter a third time. Their respective  
relationships aside, how her dad could have known that the General  
could or would give up his post at the mountain, she had no idea.

General O'Neill was scheduled to move to D. C. in three months.  
General Landry had already taken over his duties in the mountain and  
had been meeting with the SG teams regularly. She would have her own  
lab in Area 51 next week. It was almost too perfect.

Sam didn't know if she should call General O'Neill-Jack- about the  
letter. Mentally, she cringed at the slip. Not that it was really  
a slip, either way. She was a creature of habit and order. His  
rank was General and her habit was to call him by that. However,  
something had happened to futz with her normal mode of thinking.

Right after his last day at Cheyenne Mountain, and Sam recalled it  
was at 5:02 p.m., he had pulled her aside in her lab, knowing she  
never left the mountain before 7:00. He had told her point blank to  
call him Jack, saying they were friends first, now. Not General and  
Lieutenant Colonel. As if he had ever called her anything other than  
Carter. She attempted to insist he call her Sam, reasoning it was  
the least Jack could doSam shook her head, continuing to examine the situation. Instead of  
calling, she made herself a pot of coffee, preparing a cup for  
herself when it was ready. She didn't want to call Jack or try  
driving to his house.

What if the General was in the middle of something? Let alone it  
was after seven at night. Whenever she stayed up past, it was Hell  
waking at four a.m. the next morning. Also, if she wasn't  
interrupting him, chances were that she would be stopped mid-  
sentence by something. It was a law of Murphy that never failed in  
her life

Sam put the issue aside for tomorrow and sat at her kitchen table,  
editing a report she'd started to prepare for General Landry earlier  
in the day.

Jack had parked the truck and practically jumped out as quickly as  
he could. If he had allowed himself to sit in the cab, thinking  
about it, he might have turned around and gone home. Now he stood at  
her door, knocking with his left hand, Jacob's letter clutched in  
his right. He could have used the doorbell, but in his haste, he  
forgot she had one.

The door opened and he spoke, "I think that--"

"I still love you----" she blurted.

"--your dad was right." He noticed a paper in her hand and assumed  
she'd gotten a letter from Jacob, too. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," she opened the door wider for him.

In the foyer, he turned and immediately pulled her into a tight  
embrace, whispering a soft, "Come here."

She hugged him back, and it felt good. No longer would he have to  
cap his feelings----he hoped. Wordlessly, he followed her to the living  
room.

"Dad sent you a letter?" she asked as she sat down on the couch. He  
joined her.

"Yeah."

"I wonder how? Who--"

"Must have been someone on base. Your dad was always clever. So,  
what do you want to do about this?"

She shrugged. "I still start at Area 51 next week."

"I'm still flying to D.C. It'll be long distance." He nodded.

She took his hand and held it. "But, it'll still be us. Together.  
We don't have to leave it' anywhere, anymore. Do you agree?"

"I do." Jack leaned in and kissed her lips, holding her to  
him. "God, this is going to be fun."

Her reply made them both giggle, "Ya, sure, you betcha!"

The End


End file.
